The Pendant of Duergar
by BlueBird325
Summary: Set during S3. Arthur finds a pendant that affects his emotions. He takes Merlin on a quest with him to find something to destroy it. Full summary inside. Rated T coz I'm paranoid. I only have a vague idea where this will go, so yeah...
1. Prologue A hunting trip

A/N: Here is my first Merlin fic and my first non-drabble story! I know I'm supposed to be writing for _50 Things The Marauders Would Never Do_, but this is much more fun! Anyway, the full summary is below;

Summary: Arthur finds an enchanted pendant in the forest that causes misery and anger in all who hold it. He then proceeds to take Merlin with him on a quest to find the Dagger of Lost Dreams, which is said to be able to destroy anything, to help him get rid of the pendant. When finally reaching where the dagger once lay, they find nothing and Arthur gets angry and frustrated so takes it out on Merlin. Merlin soon realises that the pendant is affecting Arthur's emotions and knows he can destroy it, but is he willing to do so infront of his prince and best friend?

Remind you of anything? My inspiration came from listening to "Don't Leave" by the Ministry of Magic. Yay, Harry Potter!

Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Merlin slowly plodded behind the crowned Prince of Camelot, moaning all the way. The day was hot and the air was still, which was (according to Arthur) the perfect conditions for a hunt. The truth was that Arthur didn't really want to leave the castle either, but he wanted to annoy his manservant.

"I honestly don't think we are going to catch anything." Merlin grumbled. So far, they had caught a squirrel, and not much else. All the creatures of the forest must have decided to rest inside and avoid the insane heat of the day as they had been out hunting for hours and had little to show for it. His neckerchief was soaked in sweat and he was struggling to keep up with the prince in front of him. Said prince was also suffering from the heat, though he wasn't going to confess it to Merlin. His chain-mail was weighing him down and trapping all his body heat so that he felt as though he was being cooked alive, but he would never admit it, even as his blonde hair stuck to his sweaty forehead.

"Don't be silly, _Mer_lin, you're just scaring all the game away!"

"What game?"

"Idiot."

"Prat."

Arthur smiled despite himself. He enjoyed their banter, and both knew that the words didn't mean anything. Merlin may be many things, such as clumsy and annoying, but he was loyal and stubborn, and always said what was on his mind. It had gotten to the point where Arthur no longer considered Merlin a servant, but a friend.

Merlin was also thinking about his prince. Arthur had gone a long way since they had first met, and it was mostly due to Merlin's influence. Now it was easy to see the king Arthur would become, the man who would unite Albion and return magic to the land. There was still some way to go, but it wouldn't be long until the King Arthur of legend would be strolling around Camelot with the great warlock Emrys by his side. Although, Merlin planned on waiting until after Uther was dead to tell Arthur that he had magic. He didn't want to return to Camelot and find a nice, filthy cell in the dungeons swiftly followed by becoming close friends with the pyre. Sorry, but that wasn't his idea of fun.

Arthur suddenly stopped short, only to have Merlin crash into his back.

"Watch your step, _Mer_lin!" A very miffed prince said as he steadied his servant and pushed him back up.

"It's your fault for stopping like that! _Ar_thur," Merlin copied his prince's accent to annoy him, "Why did you stop anyway?"

"Oh," said Arthur, suddenly remembering the reason for their short break. He was sure he had spotted something lying in the grass and so turned back and bent down to examine the silver object.

The object in question was a pendant with a long silver chain with a red stone held tightly in place by a silver band around the top. The pendant itself was a oval shape and a rich colour that made it look like liquid fire and it was hot to the touch from lying in the sun. Arthur bent down and gingerly picked up the chain.

"Arthur...what's that?"

"A pendant, _Mer_lin, what do think it is?"

Merlin didn't answer. He could sense the strong magic coming from the stone, but was still compelled to touch it, hold it, wear it. It was only then he took a closer look that he noticed the dark aura surrounding it. He had to admit, it held a simplistic beauty, but he doubted any good would come of puting the long chain round his neck, like Arthur was doing...

Wait, _what?_

"Arthur!" The prince glanced at his manservant, but carried on regardless. "I don't think that's a good..." The stone landed with a soft thump on Arthur's chest, "...idea. Never mind."

"Honestly, what's wrong with you today?" Merlin opened his mouth to start complaining again, but Arthur just carried on, "Forget it, let's just get back to Camelot. I doubt we'll catch anything else."

"Finally." Merlin muttered. He hated when Arthur took him on hunts and couldn't wait to get back to the castle, although Arthur would probably tell him to muck out the stables when they arrived. The pair turned and begun to trudge towards the place they called home, looking forward to resting after the heat of the day had past. Even Arthur wanted to get back, although only bringing a squirrel back would mean a days worth of teasing from Morgana.

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><p>AN: Hope you liked that! I know it's short but I'm not very good at beefing up my stories.

Please review! This is my first fic that isn't drabble and I want to know what you think!


	2. Return to Camelot

A/N: Hey eveyone! I couldn't believe the response to the first chapter of this! I love you guys, so much so that I'm giving you another chapter! Remember, the more reviews I get, the faster I update. Actually, that's never happened with me before, so yeah...

Anyway, Reviews!

To my first reviewer ever! Pegasus185!

_Yes, you are my first reviewer! I'm so happy! Anyway, I love the idea that the pendant also effects what Arthur does, which is sort of what I planned as his judgement would be clouded, but I like the idea and might involve it later on when Arthur has had it for a while. Also, to be honest with you, I hadn't thought much about how the pendant came to be in the forest, but it certainly is a mystery that I hadn't thought about. Don't worry, you'll get your answer, just be patient! (I already have an idea after you mentioned it!) Anyway, I'm glad you like my fic so far and I can't wait to see how this story ends!_

Thanks to all who have read my fic so far and please remember to review!

Summary: Arthur finds an enchanted pendant in the forest that causes misery and anger in all who hold it. He then proceeds to take Merlin with him on a quest to find the Dagger of Lost Dreams, which is said to be able to destroy anything, to help him get rid of the pendant. When finally reaching where the dagger once lay, they find nothing and Arthur gets angry and frustrated so takes it out on Merlin. Merlin soon realises that the pendant is affecting Arthur's emotions and knows he can destroy it, but is he willing to do so in front of his prince and best friend?

Enjoy the chapter!

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

It wasn't long until an exhausted Merlin and an angry Arthur returned to Camelot. The heat of the day had faded a little, but it was still blisteringly hot. Merlin was relieved to see the relatively cool stone of the citadel up ahead. He glanced towards his companion, confused as to his attitude. Arthur had blown his top suddenly on the way back when Merlin had stumbled on a tree root. _Stumbled_, he hadn't even fallen. This wasn't normal. They had spent the rest of the journey in silence, Arthur fuming quietly and Merlin trying not to trip again. The manservant had tried to convince himself that the prince's irritation was caused by the combination of the heat and the unsuccessful hunt, but they had had worst days than this and Arthur had never properly yelled at him before. It scared Merlin more than anything, as he was worried about his friend and was convinced it had something to do with the pendant around his neck. He would have to ask Gaius, which would probably lead to a night spent searching though dusty old books, and he couldn't ask Kilgarrah for help as Uther's current wave of paranoia had led to tighter security, and Merlin didn't want to risk it.

As the two approached the gates, the Lady Morgana came to greet them. Her green and blue dress fitted her perfectly and the fabric seemed to flow, the woman was every inch a noble, her movements screaming of confidence. Behind her was Gwen, wearing yellow today, and she had a simplistic beauty that caught many people's eye. Merlin felt a twinge of anger and hurt when seeing Morgana, but slightly comforted by the presence of Gwen. Merlin hadn't yet told Arthur of when Gwen had kissed him as the relationship between the prince and the servant girl was strained enough as it was, but he cared for Gwen as more of a sister than anything else.

"Was your hunt successful?" Morgana asked, her voice melodic.

Arthur didn't reply, so Merlin simply lifted the dead squirrel.

"A squirrel? Come now Arthur, you can do better than that." Morgana started to tease the prince, and Merlin could see hhim begin to tense up. "After all, you are the great Arthur of Camelot, and all you could catch was a squirrel? What kind of hunter are you? I-" Morgana stopped short as a crazed Arthur interrupted her.

"I'm a perfect fine hunter! It was all Merlin's fault-" Merlin twitched, "-he scared away all the game with his clumsy step! I don't know what my father was thinking when he put the useless lump in my service!" Gwen shot Merlin a confused look at Arthur's tone, but he just shrugged back. He didn't know what was going on either, but he still fought to not flinch back was Arthur turned his anger on him, "And you, _Merlin_, are the most useless servant I have ever laid eyes on! You're lazy and loud and are always falling over your own feet! Go clean out the stables, I don't want to see you again today."

Merlin watched, stunned, as an irrate Arthur stormed off to his room, soon followed by a supposedly worried Morgana. Merlin didn't miss the glare sent his way, though, and wondered whether she or Morgause had something to do with Arthur's sudden change in attitude.

"Merlin, what was all that about?" Merlin turned to meet Gwen's confused gaze. He briefly considered telling her about the pendant, but decided against it. He wasn't even sure what had changed the prince's mood.

"To be honest Gwen, I'm not sure. I'll ask Gaius later." And he was being honest, he suspected the pendant, but there was no way he could confirm that without knowing more.

"You'd better muck out the stables first, Merlin, let me deal with Arthur." Merlin smiled weakly as Gwen moved away, before heading to the stables himself. Gwen was right, and he really didn't want to make things worse with the prince.

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><p>AN: So what do you think? I know it's quite short, but I haven't decided yet whether or not the chapter will be Merlin tellling Gaius or Gwen talking to Arthur. If you know what you want, please tell me in a review or PM, I don't care which.

Please read and review!


	3. Gwen confronts Arthur

A/N: OMG guys! FOUR REVIEWS! You have no idea how happy that makes me! Yay! I give all of virtual cookies! I feel so loved *sniff*...

To dee  
><em>Thanx for your review! I know the chapters themselves are short, but I plan on doing lots of chapters! Thanks again for reviewing!<em>

To pegasus185_  
>Thanks for your <strong>second<strong>__review! Yes, Merlin is in for a rough time (hehe) Sorry, I can be a bit of a sadist. Don't worry, though, it will mainly be Arthur yelling at him and the odd fight. Glad to see you are looking forward to Arthur and Gwen talking in this chapter. I am quite interested as to how this chapter will go myself as I'm not sure how to write Gwen,, but I'll try my best. I also like the idea of an Uther scene, but I'm not sure where to fit it in, maybe when Arthur wants to leave on the quest? I don't know, we'll see. I'm glad you like my ideas, and I can't wait to see how this will end!_

To sarajm  
><em>Thanks for your review! I'm glad you like my story and I have decided (with the help of pegasus185) that the pendant will not only affect Arthur's emotions, but also his judgement and actions. Be prepared for the odd punch thrown Merlin's way and the occasional tavern brall. Thinking of tavern bralls, maybe they should meet Gwaine on the way...<em>

Thanks to all you lovely people who have read my story and don't forget to review! Reviews = Happy Author = Faster Updates!

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><p>Also, I have a little challenge for you (and quite a few ideas to check)! My question is: What is Duergar? I know what it is because I found the name on a folklore site, but do you? (Just Google it, I don't care). If you know the answer, please tell me in a review or PM and I'll credit you at the start of the next chapter. You have until I next update, then I will tell you the answer anyway.<p>

Also also, Do you think I should have a chapter with Uther in? How would I do it and who would he be talking to? I already have a vague idea of Arthur and Merlin trying to persuade him to let them go on the quest, but I want to know what you think.

Also also also, Should Arthur and Merlin meet Gwaine in a tavern? How will Gwaine react to Arthur's attitude and will he join them on the quest? I actually have no idea about this yet but I'm getting there, so any input you have is welcome.

Also also also also, Will this be a reveal fic? We know from the summary that Merlin could easily destroy the pendant with his magic, but would he be willing to do so in front of Arthur?

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><p>Summary: Arthur finds an enchanted pendant in the forest that causes misery and anger in all who hold it. He then proceeds to take Merlin with him on a quest to find the Dagger of Lost Dreams, which is said to be able to destroy anything, to help him get rid of the pendant. When finally reaching where the dagger once lay, they find nothing and Arthur gets angry and frustrated so takes it out on Merlin. Merlin soon realises that the pendant is affecting Arthur's emotions and knows he can destroy it, but is he willing to do so in front of his prince and best friend?<p>

Anyway, this will probably be a short chapter but I'll probably update again tomorrow if I get enough reviews *hint hint*. Enjoy!

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><p><span>Chapter 3<span>

Gwen hurried to Arthur's chambers, thoughts swirling in her mind. Arthur had been so angry at Merlin after the hunt, she had never seen him that mad. Sure, he had been irritated at his manservant, and they often teased each other, but neither had ever shown ill intention. Gwen knew she was stepping into unknown territory, and was understandably nervous about confronting her love.

As she approached Arthur's chambers,she spotted a very triumphant Morgana leaving the rooms. However, Gwen wasn't so sure as Morgana's expression suddenly changed to one of puzzlement and worry as she noticed her maidservant.

"Gwen! I tried to talk to Arthur, but he just kicked me out! I don't think you should go in there, he's worked himself into a state. He didn't listen to anything I said and just got angrier with everything that came out of my mouth. Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with him." She began to fiddle with the edge of her dress.

"Don't worry, m'lady, let me talk to him." Gwen said, trying to calm Morgana.

"Are you sure, Gwen? He seems so worked up over this, but if you want to try..." Morgana trailed off before leaving Gwen to face Arthur alone.

Gwen knocked quietly on the door, "Arthur?". When she got no response, she gently began to open the door and peered into the room.

Her head quickly withdrew when a rather heavy goblet flew towards the door.

"Go away! Whatever it is you want. No, I won't go and speak to my father! No, I won't go and train the knights, they can train themselves! Morgana, leave me alone, you horrible witch! Merlin, stop complaining and clean the stables before I put you in the stocks!" Arthur's angry voice, slightly muffled by the thick wooden door, rang from within his chambers.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not Merlin or Morgana, isn't it?" Gwen called. After hearing no reply, she tried again to enter.

The sight that met her was crazy. Clothes were thrown everywhere, the spilled water from the now empty jug had pooled in the centre of the floor. Gwen felt squelching and looked down to find fruit that had obviously been thrown across the room by an irate prince. The goblet he had thrown at her earlier clunked dully against her left foot. The bed had lost all its sheets as they had been flung haphazardly across the room, one even covered most of the table. On the bed sat Arthur, glaring at her suspicously. His whole body looked tight and tense.

"Gwen." It was a statement, not a greeting.

"Arthur, what-" Gwen tried, but Arthur cut her off.

"I don't know what's wrong! I feel fine! I'm just so angry now, and I don't know why."

"Arthur, it's not-" Gwen tried again.

"Not my fault? Of course it's my fault! I'm the crowned prince of Camelot! I don't lose control of my emotions!" Arthur had stood by now and started pacing, but stopped abruptly when he noticed the state his room was in. "What on earth is this? Alright, that's it! Where's Merlin? It's his job to keep my chambers tidy and look at all this mess! He was rubbish on the hunt as well, tripping and stumbling over nothing for no reason other than to annoy me. I've had enough! That useless lump of a manservant is out of here!"

"Arthur, Merlin's in the stables, cleaning out the horses."

"Why's he doing that? He's supposed to be here, helping me! I bet he's just using that as an excuse, I bet he's slacking off in the tavern like his little friend, Gwaine. Why I let that idiot live is beyond me!"

"Arthur, you told Merlin to muck out the stables, and Gwaine saved your life. Merlin would never-" Gwen began again, confusion etched onto her features, before Arthur erupted again.

"Merlin would never what? Slack off? Are you sure about that Gwen? He is quite possibly the laziest and most useless servant in Camelot! Why are you trying to defend him anyway? What's he ever done for you?"

"Merlin's my friend, and he was yours. Did you have an argument of something?"

Arthur just ignored her question and advanced on her. "Your _friend,_ hey? Tell me Gwen, exactly how _friendly_ are you with him?"

"Arthur, I would never-" Gwen was scared by Arthur's twisted thoughts. She loved this man with all her heart and had thought she knew him well, but this was nothing like the man she loved. What was going on here? As Arthur advanced on her, she began scrambling for the door. She had to get out of here, before Arthur did something they both would regret.

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><p>AN: Ooh, cliffie! What do you think? Sorry this chapter was a bit late, but I kept putting it off as I wasn't sure how I wanted this scene to go. Next chapter I'm just going to cut straight to Merlin talking to Gaius, so all of you lovely people can leave it up to your imagination as to how Gwen gets out of Arthur's chambers. This is partly because I can't be bothered to write much more of this scene, but mostly because I don't know either. And what do you think Morgana was doing in his rooms earlier? Hehe, I'm not going to tell you! Anyway, I will probably next update either today, to make up for this late chapter, or tomorrow, because I have a lot to do today.

Also, did you guys see the latest episode last night? Wasn't it awesome! I wanna see what will happen next week!

Please read and review!


	4. A talk with Gaius

A/N: Hey guys!

**Yes, I know, you hate me *whimpers*, but hey, you have an update now, right? And another one is already typed up, waiting to be published this evening! After that... no idea. I might die again for a while, sorry. If you really want to know my pathetic excuses, read my profile.**

**For anyone who is interested:**

**Duergar - **These are a malicious form of Dwarf from Northern England. They revel in tricking people into dying.

_Source: www . Fairiesworld . Com / myths-mythology / folklore-names . Shtml (take out the spaces)_

**So I'm dedicating this chapter to **

Reviews!

To Cooper101

_Thanks for the review! I'm glad to hear that you like my story so far and are interested to see what will happen. Here's that update for you!_

To Waffles McTiny

_Cool name! Anyway, thanks for the review! I probably will make this a reveal fic and I like the idea of Merlin having the pendant for a while, maybe he reveals his magic while wearing it? That would be cool :D Here's the next chapter and thanks for the cookie!_

To sarajm

_Thanks for your **second** review! Here, have a cookie *hands virtual cookie*. I'm glad you liked my Gwen! And I forgot about how much time Merlin has to spend with Arthur, it will be fun...*starts plotting*hehe. Anyway, thanks for the review, again!_

Just remebered: I dont own Merlin. I don't even own one of the DVDs, how sad am I? :(

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><p><span>Chapter 4<span>

Merlin walked tiredly towards the physician's chambers, earning strange looks from the servants as he passed. He stank after cleaning the stables and couldn't wait to get clean again. He just hoped Gaius wouldn't catch him as the old man tended to give him a lecture about spreading filth around his chambers, which was true, and then would tell him off for being careless by using his magic to clear away the mess, also true. He understood about the magic, but it was usually Arthur's fault that he got muddy, either from the stocks or the stables. Thinking of Arthur, Merlin remembered his strange mood that led to a session in the stables. Merlin had a bad feeling about the pendant Arthur had found, and had been worried after how he reacted to Morgana's usual teasing. He would have to ask Gaius about it, which would ultimately lead to spending the night looking through the dusty tombs in the physician's chambers. Merlin sighed. If he wasn't working for Arthur or Gaius, he was busy trying to save the royal prat from who or whatever had a grudge against Camelot. His work was never done.

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><p>Merlin finished drying his face before turning to his bedroom door to talk to the Gaius that was brewing remedies behind it. He had managed to avoid the physician when entering his chambers, but knew he had to ask the man about the pendant. Skilfully avoiding the mess that was spread around his room, he approached the wooden door and peered round it.<p>

"Gaius?"

"Merlin? I wondered where you'd got to. Aren't you supposed to be with Arthur right now though?"

Merlin winced. "About that..." He trailed off slightly. Gaius raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?"

And that was all Merlin needed. He quickly ran through what had happened that day, telling of his suspicions of the pendant and how Arthur had acted after discovering it. About his outburst in the courtyard, and how scared Gwen had looked after going to Arthur's chambers. Gaius just sat, listening patiently.

"...should I do, Gaius?" Merlin finished desperately.

"Well..." The old physician paused, "I can't think of anything. Normally, I would recommend consulting Kilgarrah, doing research once he has given us a direction, but it would be unwise to do so now. So instead..."

Merlin pointed limply at the shelves and shelves of books that lined the room. Gaius nodded. Merlin, having already guessed the outcome of this conversation, turned dejectedly towards the tomes on the wall. Gaius, seeing this and remembering what Merlin had already done today, took pity on his ward. "The books can wait. You need to sleep, and I bet you don't want to be late tomorrow if Arthur remains in his mood."

Merlin looked relieved, glad that he wouldn't have to do any more work today, but felt dread when he realised how foul Arthur was likely to be in the morning. Still, he gave Gaius a weak, grateful smile and turned all his attention to the few steps that led to his bedroom.

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><p><strong>AN: There we are! Finally, the update you have all been waiting for(really, _really_ sorry about that)! Anyway, I'll see you again in...*checkes watch* *mumbles* not that long, actually...**


	5. The next morning

**UPDATE!UPDATE!UPDATE!**

**Here you go, **_**all**_** of chapter 5. Or rather, the same as last time with a bit added.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Chapter 5<p>

Light poured into the room as Merlin opened the curtains by Arthur's bed. "Come on, get up!" he called over his shoulder, tying the fabric back. Merlin was hoping that whatever had happened yesterday, Arthur was over and everything could go back to normal. He doubted it though.

"What now?" Arthur grumbled, burying his face into the pillows, effectively smothering his words.

"Come on, Arthur, you have to get up at some point. You have early training with the knights, and the King wants you for one of his council meetings later." Merlin reached out to tentatively to physically pull the prince out of bed, but his wrist was grabbed and he heard a growl. _Uh oh,_ he thought, _maybe Arthur isn't as over this as I hoped_.

After a very long and colourful rant, dotted with curse words Gwaine would be proud of, Merlin was kicked out of Arthur's chambers, a tad bruised from all the objects the prince had hurled at him. Merlin reached up to rub the back of his neck, wondering whether Arthur was actually going to leave the room for either training or the council meeting. Although he had to admit, it would be fun to see Arthur lash out at the Lords as they clammered for his attention, especially the expressions on everyone's faces. Although, Merlin wasn't sure it would be worth it. Arthur would find a way to blame him again. He usually did. With a sigh, he went to finish the incredibly long list of chores Arthur had given him.

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><p><strong>Yey! Update! This will be the last update until Summer 'coz I have exams. Thanks and please R&amp;R!<strong>

**This next bit is set in the council meeting, JSYK. I didn't make it very clear, sorry. It was a bit of a rush.**

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><p>"I propose we raise the taxes to pay for any future feasts. That way, the money won't come from the royal accounts and any extra can be spent on building a statue in your honour to serve as a reminder of your struggles against the evils of sorcery."<p>

"An interesting proposal." Uther said, shifting in his seat in an attempt to appear interested. Arthur tried to pay attention, but really didn't want to be present. At least Merlin, who was standing nearby, had to hear this too. "Anyone wish to add something?"

"With all due respect sire, I don't think raising the taxes is a good idea." Leon, bless him, was always ready to speak for the people and liked to keep a close eye on the townsfolk. " The Lower Town alone has still to recover from being completely destroyed multiple times. The people can barely get by as it is, they can't pay higher taxes without starving."

"Thank you for your input, Leon. But I do like the idea of a statue of some sort to discourage-"

"For pity's sake! You don't need a statue, you burn anyone who so much as passes a sorcerer in the street and wave it in their faces!" Arthur exclaimed, frustrated. Uther turned to his son incredulously as everyone regarded the prince with shock. Merlin noticed, however, that Morgana only looked mildly surprised and strangely smug. Either way, this wasn't good.

"Arthur!" Uther hissed at him, "What is the meaning of this?"

"What do you think? Those stupid-"

"With respect, sire," Merlin called over Arthur, then lowered his voice when he realized all eyes were on him, "Well… you see… um…"

"Spit it out boy!" Uthur demanded. Merlin noticed Gaius' questioning gaze and raise eyebrow now directed in his direction. He had to think of something, quick.

"Stress!" He blurted, "Arth- _Prince_ Arthur is very stressed. He's been under a lot of stress, you see, and…" He tailed off under Uther's glare, "… maybe a hunt will help?" He suggested weakly.

"Fine. Arthur, you are dismissed. You are free to spend this week as you please." Arthur nodded tersely and stormed out the room. Merlin bowed hesitantly before scurrying after him.

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><p><strong>Thanks for waiting and please review!<strong>


	6. The Quest

A/N: Alright, I have started writing this again, but I got stuck at the end of the chapter, and am unsure as to how to continue from her. So Idecided to put this up and ask your opinion.

Thanks to everyone for your reviews, but in case you hadn't noticed, I updated the previous chapter so that there is more of it. You might want to go back and read it.

Again, I am sorry, but hey, today you get a book cover and a chapter!

Enjoy!

I do not own Merlin, but I do own Nerlin(whatever that is).

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><p>Chapter 6<p>

"Arthur! Arthur, wait!" Merlin called, jogging to catch up. Arthur stopped and turned angrily to his manservant.

"Wait for what? For you to explain what on earth you were thinking?"

"What? I just covered for you!"

"Oh yes, with _stress._ Now no-one will think I can cope! This is all your fault Merlin."

"What do you mean, _my_ fault? I just got you a week off! To go hunting!"

Arthur growled, "Fine. But I am not wasting my time hunting. Find me something _useful_ to do, and prepare for a quest."

Merlin sighed as he watched the prince storm off down the corridor. He thought Arthur _liked _hunting, for goodness sake. Merlin got a strange feeling that he was missing the point.

"I take it Arthur wasn't pleased." Merlin jumped and was surprised to find Gaius in the corridor, behind him. He gave his mentor a small smile in welcome, before getting back to the point.

"Gaius, Arthur is _never _pleased any more. He's even angry I got him a week off, to hunt! I thought he liked hunting, but no, he wants to 'do something useful'." Merlin complained, "What do I do, Gaius?"

Gaius raised his eyebrow. "How about you find 'something useful' to do?" Merlin looked confused and Gaius sighed and elaborated. "How about you find a way to destroy that pendant?"

Merlin's head shot up. "That," he said, eyes sparkling, "is not a bad idea."

**MAGICAL TIME SKIP!**

"Well Merlin, what are we doing?" Arthur was sat at his desk, chin resting on his hands, watching as his manservant tidied his rooms after the mess that had been made yesterday.

Merlin paused in his fussing and turned to face his friend to recite his findings. The advantage of doing so much research the previous night on the Pendant of Duergar, as it was apparently called, was that Gaius had also discovered several possibilities on how to destroy it, without Merlin just blasting at the artefact with his considerable power. They had decided on something that they could actually look for and thus keep Arthur busy finding it. "There's a magical artefact called the Dagger of Lost Dreams, and it has the ability to destroy anything it touches, according to legend. It was hidden during the Great Purge in the forest of Ascetir, so it would be wise to look there first."

Arthur was surprised at how knowledgeable Merlin sounded, but he simply nodded in response. "Good, we leave tomorrow morning. I expect everything will be ready?"

Merlin bowed slightly before leaving to prepare. He was surprised the Arthur had accepted the quest so easily and seemed fairly tame compared to yesterday's fail of a hunting trip. Merlin only hoped his good mood would last, especially if it took them all week to find the dagger and he was sharing a camp-site with him.

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><p>That looked so much longer on paper...<p>

Please review!


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